The “barn find” of a 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante, that was thought to fetch $8.7m, finally went under the hammer at Bonham’s in Paris. According to the BBC, “it eventually sold for 3,417,500 euros.” At today’s rate, that’s $4.4m . . . about half. Even barn finds don’t keep their residual value as much as they used to.

Assuming $2,000 in 1937 (a wild guess on my part), the $4.4mm price tag today adds up to an annualized return of about 11%. That’s about the same as a good stock certificate, only more difficult to carry in your pocket.